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(1)The Northern Ireland Act 1998 is amended as follows.
(2)In Schedule 3 (reserved matters), after paragraph 7 insert—
“7AThe alteration of the number of members of the Assembly returned for each constituency.
This paragraph does not include—
(a)the alteration of that number to a number lower than five or higher than six, or
(b)the provision of different numbers for different constituencies.”
(3)After section 7 insert—
(1)The Assembly shall not pass a relevant Bill without cross-community support.
(2)In this section—
“pass”, in relation to a Bill, means pass at the stage in the Assembly's proceedings at which the Bill falls finally to be passed or rejected;
“relevant Bill” means a Bill containing a provision which deals with a matter falling within a description specified in paragraph 7A of Schedule 3 (size of Assembly).”
(4)In section 14 (submission by Secretary of State), after subsection (3) insert—
“(3A)The Secretary of State shall not submit a Bill for Royal Assent if the Assembly has passed the Bill in contravention of section 7A (cross-community support required for Bill altering size of Assembly).”
(5)In section 53(3)(b) (agreements etc by person participating in Councils), after “section” insert “ 7A, ”.